Ben Bender is the creator of the all-ages adventure comedy comic book series Beorn: The Littlest Viking Saga. Even though most of his early childhood was spent poring over newspaper comics and voraciously consuming Saturday morning cartoons, Ben didn’t draw through most of his adolescence and adult life. He took to cartooning seriously in his 30s and crowdfunded the first installment of Beorn: The Littlest Viking Saga on his 40th birthday. His biggest influences are newspaper comic strips like Calvin & Hobbes, Hagar the Horrible, and Pogo, as well as fantasy epics like Bone and Lord of the Rings. Throw in a heaping of Jim Henson and 80s favorites like Willow, Neverending Story, and Secret of NIMH, and you’ve got the map of Ben’s imagination. Having worked with young people for a good chunk of his adult life (he graduated with a degree in Human Development from Cornell University, and has taught martial arts to all levels and ages of students for the past couple decades), Ben works hard to bring to life stories that engage readers of all ages with a mix of humor, excitement, danger, and emotion. He has big plans for Beorn’s saga and has nothing but heartfelt appreciation for everyone who has had a hand in bringing this story to life.